If you scroll for long enough on Pinterest or TikTok, you may stumble upon an extensive collection of how-to guides for building a new and timeless capsule wardrobe. These clothes transcend the trend cycle and promise to become wardrobe staples. I think we can all imagine the list: a go-to LBD, tailored trousers, 100% linen shirts, trench coats, and luxury neutrals.
These pieces are undeniably elegant and well-crafted. A good selection can be found here, and Caroline has a great article for some St Andrews style tips! The only problem is that the ‘timeless’ we’re sold isn’t accessible for everyone and is shaped by race, gender, and wealth.
The Old Money Problem
Conversations about timeless fashion often lean into the TikTok cliché of ‘old money’. This aesthetic is fueled by pictures of wealthy white women captured with perfect hair, wearing equally eloquent outfits. Their clothing is neutral, understated, and balanced, a tasteful concoction to outlast endlessly passing trends. By presenting this aesthetic as good taste rather than as trendy, it suggests taste as an inherent concept, passed down through predominantly Western aristocracy who never had to consider practicality or cost.
Using the blueprint of ‘old money’ to build what we call ‘timeless clothing’ means that it is also building on a narrow, idealised image of wealthy Europeans. This excludes anyone whose culture or body doesn’t fit that mold.
This exclusion becomes apparent when we consider the many timeless conditions. Classic tailoring with sharp lines and structured shoulder pads is prevalent in this aesthetic and is heavily influenced by Western men’s tailoring, which I was struck by on a recent visit to La Galerie Dior in Paris (definitely worth a visit!). These ‘gold standards’ of sophistication push aside other, much older, clothing traditions from across the world. The Sari is a good example of clothing that is thousands of years old and carefully crafted, yet it is far more likely to be described as ‘traditional’ or ‘cultural’ rather than ‘timeless’. This Vogue India article highlights designers embodying elements of the Sari in their creations. When timelessness is defined by a purely Western style, there is no room for fashion rooted in other communities, leaving Eurocentric ideals as the chic and sophisticated standard while devaluing other cultures.
It’s a Man’s World
Timeless fashion also has a gender problem. The pieces we are led to believe will never go out of style tend to lean towards masculinity, inspired by traditionally masculine staples such as suits and button-downs. But the problem becomes clearer when you consider that feminine clothing is judged not only by its style but also by the body wearing it, and that this becomes a trend.
The changing trend of ‘how a woman should look’ is not recent news. We are unfortunately all aware that curves swing back and forth between being celebrated and criticised, with many women now realising that how they look should not be determined by what others dictate. However, the bodies most often used to model ‘timeless pieces’ are all relatively similar, meaning slim and able-bodied, while plus-sized and disabled bodies are excluded from both the imagery and sizing. When the ideal body type for timeless fashion doesn’t change, it tells those who don’t fit the standard that the clothing or aesthetic, and by proxy the so-called ‘classiness’ that comes with it, does not belong to them.
Class Exclusion
Considering style as ‘timeless’ becomes challenging when garments are altered and priced in a way that preserves class distinction. Luxury monograms such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci were once reserved for a very small group who could afford them, so they continued to be produced as a ‘staple’ of timeless fashion. While the number of people who have access to these luxury items is still small, it is considerably larger than it used to be and now assumes a different demographic. As access to the luxury market widened, monogram patterns have become tacky to the timeless fashion cult. When working-class consumers began to loudly sport these designers, the line between new consumers and the already wealthy blurred, inevitably diminishing the appeal of the monogram print as an exclusive element of timeless design. This practice of high pricing aimed at preserving exclusivity is reinforced through ‘investment pieces’ staple to this style niche. They typically have high upfront costs and ongoing expenses for tailoring and dry cleaning. Because of this, timeless fashion retains its desirability by being costly enough to exclude, highlighting that it was never intended to be timeless for everyone.
So, if you want your wardrobe to be truly timeless, it should be personal to you, not from cookie-cutter Pinterest boards. Longevity does not come from owning ‘the right blazer’. It is found in the clothes that you wear habitually, repair, and feel comfortable in. When timeless fashion becomes personal, it stops being a trend, because it isn’t one-size-fits-all.